Lions eat suspected poacher in South Africa

This January 2013 file photo shows a lion yawning near the National Parks sanctuary in Zimbabwe.

AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi, File

A suspected poacher was eaten by lions in South Africa, according to officials.

Officials said there was little left of the body, which was found near Kruger National Park in the Limpopo province over the weekend. It’s an area that’s seen more and more poaching over the years.

“It seems the victim was poaching in the game park when he was attacked and killed by lions. They ate his body, nearly all of it, and just left his head and some remains,” Limpopo police spokesman Moatshe Ngoepe told AFP.

The police haven’t yet been able to identify the body, but they say a loaded hunting rifle was found nearby.

“The process of identifying the deceased has already commenced and it might be made possible by the fact that his head is amongst the remains that were found at the scene,” Ngoepe told local news website News24.

BBC reported that the area is prone to poaching. Three lions were found with their paws and head cut off in Limpopo in January of 2017.

Conservation website Born Free said on its website that lion parts, including their bones, are becoming increasingly sought after, “perhaps to replace now extremely scarce tiger products.” They say international trade of lion body parts is legal, and many parts are making their way into Southeast Asia.